Arkansas Christian College

Arkansas Christian College (ACC) was a short-lived junior college established in 1889 in Pinnacle Springs (Faulkner County). The college was founded with the intention of educating teachers to work in area schools. Despite its short existence, Arkansas Christian College was the first institution of higher education in Faulkner County.

The leaders and citizens of Pinnacle Springs began planning for the establishment of a college during the height of the community’s growth. For many, one of the factors that made Pinnacle Springs a desirable place to operate a college was the prohibition of alcohol in the town.

On September 2, 1889, William Moseley was named president of ACC. Moseley and his wife taught courses, while a J. M. C. Vaughter served as the schoolmaster. Advertisements in the Log Cabin Democrat cited the prohibition of saloons and theaters in Pinnacle Springs as an advantage to parents of prospective students.

Despite the high hopes of the residents of Pinnacle Springs, the college proved to be short-lived. The first, and last, class graduated in June 1890. The college ceased operations afterward. Along with a rapidly declining population of Pinnacle Springs, a lack of convenient transportation to Pinnacle Springs was cited by later researchers as a reason for the closure of the school.

For additional information:
Faulkner County Historical Society. Faulkner County: Its Land and People. Conway, AR: Faulkner County Historical Society, 1986.

Faulkner County School History Collection. Special Collections. University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas.

Daniel Klotz
University of Central Arkansas